UK's Hoxton Farms appoints former GOOD Meat and Aleph Farms cultivated meat thought-leaders to the biotech's growing team

Another year and another COP has reached a conclusion.

Was it a good outcome?

Well, food was undoubtedly given a more prominent spot than in previous years, and while the FAO roadmap itself was welcome, it was not binding.

That said, it could nevertheless give nations ideas as to how to move forward in integrating food systems into their climate goals. Let's hope for more next year in Azerbaijan!

Elsewhere, the food-tech sector is progressing in leaps and bounds, with one London-based biotech making two significant appointments to accelerate its production timelines and drive conversations with regulators as the company navigates approvals for its first product.

Staying in the UK, two companies announced they are collaborating to dramatically reduce the cost of cultivated meat, helping replace intensive animal farming and transition to a sustainable global food system.

And we were especially pleased to hear that a brand-new campaign calling on restaurants to add more plant-based options to their menus has revealed three major players quick off the mark to commit to the cause.

Hats off to the charity behind the initiative as well as to the three companies that will probably now inform their customers about the connection between what they eat and how it impacts the environment.

Just one more week of news for this year – and next week we'll be rounding up our most-read stories of 2023. So keep an eye out for that!

• Wagamama, Beyond Meat and Wicked Kitchen endorse new sustainable dining campaign

• Precision-fermentation start-up Paleo eyes pet food market with its myoglobins

• Tender Food awarded NSF grant for plant-based meats enhanced with cultured animal cells

• University of Warwick researcher explores Christmas dinners of the future with cultivated meat

• Hoxton Farms puts UK at the forefront of food-tech with strategic international hires